The Answers One Seeks, The Path One Takes
by The L. MMonster
Summary: Stefani is a healthy, happy little girl, until, on a dark night, a tragic occurrence changes her life forever. As she discovers she is a witch and navigates the brand new word of magic, secrets and memories come to the surface, forcing choices on her that might have the highest prices. One unlikely man helps her chart those murky waters. This is her story.
1. Chapter 1

The dark street was not inhospitable, but the only illumination aside from the lamp poles and a few scattered windows came from the small restaurant they were going towards. The yellow light overhead gave everything a golden hue, making the complexion of the trio seem sickly, which reminded Stefani of ghosts in old movies.

The street was mostly silent, the only sounds drowned and far away. Cars passing in the main avenue close by, someone's television, a cat meowing. So, when the family heard two loud pops close by, they startled. The sound came from an alley immediately beside them, where the darkness got so impenetrable it was impossible to make anything out of the shadows.

Joseph, Cynthia and Stefani stopped walking for a moment, looking. But it was silence, no movement could be seen. As nothing happened, they started to turn to continue on their way.

However, suddenly, two hooded figures emerged from the alley. Alarmed, Joseph positioned himself in front of his wife and daughter, protectively. "Hello?" He asked, uncertain if they should just go on, but the street was empty and the foreboding feeling he had on his gut didn't let him simply turn his back to the men. One of the figures, on the right, raised his hand in what seemed initially a wave, if not for the thin black branch in his grip. Joseph's eyes widened when he saw it, and he quickly moved to cover Cynthia and Stefani more fully with his body.

"Daddy?" Stefani asked, but he shushed her. The dark figure still had his hand raised, pointing the stick he had towards them.

"Filthy Muggles" One of them mumbled, voice rough and dripping with disgust.

"I don't want any trouble." Joseph said, seriously. The second hooded figure also raised his hand, and Joseph wasn't surprised to see that he held a long stick like the first. He pointed directly at Joseph's face. His heart beat loudly in his ears, and he swallowed dry.

"Just let us go." He asked. "Please."

"Joe..?" Cynthia murmured, confused as to why her husband was behaving like the two weird men were holding fire arms to them, instead of wood branches. He appeased her by touching her hip with his hand, his arm positioned over her belly, but didn't answer or move his eyes from his careful scrutiny of the dark apparitions.

Joseph watched them tensely for a few moments, before the men looked at each other. Unexpectedly, the one in the right moved his hand and spoke. Stefani didn't understand what he said, and his movements barely registered with her, but she startled when a green light came out of the stick he held. Joseph didn't have time to do anything, and the flash of light hit him straight in the chest. His body immediately became lax and started to fall.

"Joseph!" This time, Cynthia screamed. It had a high, blood-curdling quality to it, and Stefani felt weak, her own small heart trying to jump from her chest.

Cynthia moved to try to stop her husband from falling, but he was too heavy for her. Knowing it was a lost battle, she moved to put herself between the strangers and Stefani, with one hand pushing her daughter behind her and the other unconsciously holding her abdomen.

"What do you want?" She asked, her voice firm. Stefani saw her mother's hand tremble. Her father lay still in the dirty ground, not even his chest moving. Carefully, Cynthia crouched to hold his hand. She tried to feel for a pulse, but as hard as she herself was shaking, it was impossible. "What did you do?" She cried out, looking at the men.

"Pathetic." The dark figure in the left laughed, a cracking, ominous sound. He raised his hand, pointing towards Cynthia.

"No!" Stefani screamed. In the time it took for the word to leave her lips, her mother had been hit by the green glow. The deaf sound her body made as it connected with wet pavement was the only thing Stefani heard over her own heart.

The little girl stood there. Alone in the street with the two strange men, between her parents bodies. Her face was blank and she didn't move.

"What shall we do with you now?" The figure on the right spoke for the first time, voice masculine but silky, in direct contrast with the other who had been speaking so far. He stepped closer, gliding over to her, and Stefani could see the glint of greedy eyes under the darkness of his hood. A pale hand with long fingers came out from under a long sleeve to grip harshly at her chin, forcing her head up. Stefani looked down and tried to pull away, but the man was strong. "Aren't you a sweet little one?"

Stefani hated when adults called her sweet. It always had a condescending tone and it made her feel anything but, except when her father said it. Her always changing hazel-green eyes turned towards his body for a moment, before finally raising and staring into the silvery ones boring into hers. She knew she could make things happen sometimes, if she wished hard enough, and in that moment she wished with every fiber in her small body that the two men would disappear.

Nothing happened, and the man in the left laughed again, at the stupid Muggle little girl's face. The other let her go and stepped away.

"I almost feel regretful about this. It's like murdering a puppy." He said, elegant fingers pointing a wand at her.

Stefani watched, numb but somehow still surprised, as two red flashes came out of the alley's darkness in quick succession. Before the men could do anything, even turn around, they were out on the ground. Stefani wondered if she did that, but a moment after, a third figure stepped out of the shadows.

This one didn't wear a hood, and Stefani could see his pale face, with a big nose and eyes as dark as the alley behind him. His hair was also black, straight and reached his shoulders. In the soft light, it shimmered a little, looking unkempt. He didn't seem very old, but there was an air about him, as if he had seen and done much more than someone his age should have. He was dressed all in black, with what Stefani could only describe as a cape over more normal pants and a shirt full of buttons. He looked briefly at her, before turning to check on the fallen men, his expression one of extreme distaste. With a flick of his wrist, he pulled the hood over their faces, one after the other.

Stefani watched, standing very still. Her vision was out of focus, and it took her a while to realize that her face was wet. When he looked at her again, she opened her mouth.

"Please. Can you help?" She asked. Severus instantly noticed she had an American accent. She was kneeling in the filthy pavement, looking at her parents. He came closer, seeming to hesitate only for a moment, and crouched beside the mother's body. He brought the thin stick he had close to her, and Stefani's heart accelerated when she saw it, but he only flicked it quickly. Nothing happened, and he didn't seem surprised. When he looked at her his expression was carefully blank. Stefani, however, could see something in his eyes, even as they swallowed all light without reflecting any back. At six years-old, though, she was incapable of describing what she saw there.

"I am sorry." He said, his voice deep and smooth. There was nothing in his empty expression that indicated that he was sorry, except for how white and thin his lips were as he pressed them together, his bottomless eyes staring into hers.

Severus observed as the girl looked at her parents. Her small hands were clutching them in a white-knuckled grip, and her whole body trembled slightly. Tears that she didn't seem to notice traveled down her light brown eyes, and she turned her head from the man to the woman. Looking at her mother, she released her grip on the woman's arm and rested her hand over her belly. The woman had clearly been pregnant.

"I wish I could have met you." The girl said to the bump, before bending and kissing it. Severus looked away from the scene, his throat constricting tightly. She looked young, and he would have guessed she was about five years old. But the way she talked, clearly and maturely, and how she was dealing with the situation, comprehending so quickly the reality of her parents deaths, indicated that she was older.

He stood up and turned away, giving her privacy. Looking at the men responsible, he tied them up magically, before taking a deep breath and willing himself to feel his happiest memory. He conjured his Patronus and sent it to Dumbledore, to warn him of what had happened. The sight of the doe made him feel marginally better.

Severus had been running errands in London, hunting for a specific, rare ingredient he hoped to obtain before needing to go back to Hogwarts, when he heard a woman scream. This part of town had a lot of magical folk and was just nice enough that such occurrence wasn't common, and there was a quality of true despair to it that had him moving fast towards the sound. He knew the area, and used a shortcut of alleys to get closer. He got there just in time to see the woman who screamed be murdered. There was a man already on the ground, probably dead.

He knew, then, that they were Muggles being attacked by wizards. He hesitated. Dumbledore had long term plans for him that didn't include blowing his cover by saving Muggles from Dark wizards when he could have easily walked away, and both the man and woman were already dead. But there was a little girl with them, who stood still, big-eyed and surprisingly defiant between the adult's bodies. He was coming from behind, so the wizards couldn't see him. His wand was already drawn – since he had heard the scream – and he lifted it.

Severus made quick work of them, and checked that they were former Death Eaters, before the girl spoke. He knew that the man and woman, who he supposed were her parents, were dead, but he still performed a simple charm to check for vital signs. There were none.

After making sure his message reached Dumbledore and he was sending Aurors to the scene, Snape turned and looked at the girl. She was curled up on the hard, cold ground, her head on her father's shoulder, holding her mother's hand. She was shaking even harder than before, so Severus cast a Warming Charm around her. Her trembling didn't abate.

He knew he had to go, but didn't want to leave the girl by herself, so he cast a spell that would let him know when someone came by, be it by walking or apparating. Severus knew that it would be unsafe to not obliviate her, since the Aurors could use her to discover that he was the one who impaired the dark wizards, stopping them from committing more murders. However, the thought of using magic on the defenseless child seemed perverse to him, especially after what had happened. He chose, instead, to watch her quietly and hope that the case would be clear cut enough that the Ministry Aurors wouldn't feel the need to investigate her memories. She was also very young, so they probably wouldn't obliviate her themselves. It could cause damage to underdeveloped minds.

Stefani seemed mostly unaware of his presence. She wasn't crying anymore, her face empty. Her grief and loss were so incommensurable there were no words or actions to express it. Nothing exposed it better, however, than her eyes. Severus was simply standing there, observing, when she suddenly looked at him. He was talented both at Occlumency and Legilimency, but when he stared back, there was only an endless void behind her dark orbs. The light from the lamppost nearby cast a yellow glow that made shadows run across her face.

It didn't take long for his spell to warn him of someone apparating close by, and with a last look at the girl, who stared back at him with dark brown eyes and a sickly complexion, tear tracks drying on her face, he disapparated.

* * *

 **Hi! This is the first story I'm posting on this site, so please forgive me for any formatting errors. Reviews and constructive criticism are very, very welcome. So, feel free guys!**


	2. Chapter 2

Stefani looked up from the book she was immersed in when she heard her name being called. Since she had discovered a way to slip out of the orphanage without the Sisters and the staff noticing – which happened about as soon as she got there – the Public Library became her favorite place. Currently, she was so engrossed on a volume of _Ancient_ _Myths and Magical Religions_ , that it took the librarian, Ms. Arundo, numerous times calling for the girl to notice.

"Yes?" She answered the older woman, distractedly. Ms. Arundo, a plump, dark-haired woman in her fifties, tsked with disapproval.

"It's almost dark, you should leave before nightfall! Children shouldn't wander about in the dark, despite what some negligent parents might think." She berated, looking displeased. Stefani knew, however, that her reprimands were mostly an act, and the librarian didn't mind her frequent visits, even when she lost track of time. The girl smiled, coyly.

"I'm sorry, ma'am" She replied, getting up and closing the book. Stefani couldn't take it with her, since she didn't have an actual library card and it was too big for her to manage to slip out with it under her coat. She always returned the books she took in perfect condition when she was done with them, but she did have to take them clandestinely.

The librarian shook her head, picked the book up – knowing that Stefani wouldn't be taking it – and strode towards one of the many rows of bookshelves all around.

Stefani watched her go, wishing she could read more, then looked out of one of the huge windows with carved dark wood edges that adorned the front walls of the library. The gray sky outside was gloomy and dingy, the nightfall rapidly approaching. Stefani frowned. She had left her orphanage, right before lunch. There was a sliver of chance that her absence hadn't been noticed yet, since it was Saturday and they all had the afternoon off, but it was getting smaller and smaller.

Wasting no time, the eleven-year old walked out of the Library and into the streets of London. As soon as she turned the corner, she started running. The people milling about took little notice of the small, young girl, running between them, and soon she saw the pointed roof of the place she had called home for the last two years emerge in the distance. The Saint Louise Home for Lost Children, said the metal sign in the front.

Taking care to not be in a place visible to someone wandering through the grounds of the property or looking out a window, Stefani went around the block that the old building occupied. There was an old clothes shop right behind one of the back entrances, and an alley beside it ended on a fire scape that led to a storage space in the third floor of the Administrative side of the building. It took a lot of scurrying around and learning people's routines to manage to get in and out of the building without getting caught, but Stefani had been lucky so far.

She had discovered the exit during her second month in the orphanage. The children that lived there went to the local public school nearby, and it happened to be summer vacation. During one of her many tours of the place – she got bored easily – Stefani stumbled upon the storage space. It was a big room with beige walls and rows of junk, old chairs, clothes, broken broomsticks, books, in-house files, an ancient looking radio, pictures of children that had lived there previously, unused cleaning products and other forgotten objects. The door leading to it wasn't locked, so whoever was responsible for it didn't think there was anything dangerous there.

In the back of the room, however, there was a sole window, covered with boards. In one of the crevices between them, Stefani had been able to spy a fire scape and an alley leading to the street bellow. It took her a little over two weeks and sporadic visits to get the boards lose in such a way that she could take them off and on. Of course, anyone that got close enough would immediately see that the boards weren't secure on the window frame, but she was right in her assessment that very few people, if any, used the space routinely.

Stefani never got caught getting in or out of the room, but she had had a few close calls. She looked up the gray walls of the building, and briskly but quietly ascended the metal stairs that led to the old window. Quickly, she got inside and repositioned the boards.

She waited by the door, holding the round knob and listening for people in the hallway. Hearing nothing, she slipped out. Acting as if she had done nothing wrong, Stefani walked leisurely towards the residential wing of the building, which housed both the children's dormitories and the sleeping quarters of the Sisters and the staff.

When she turned around the corner, however, she almost collided straight with Sister Bellus, the strict but kind administrator of the Home. She was hurrying down the hall, looking preoccupied. When she seemed to register who she had almost run over, she put her hand over her chest, looking relieved.

"Stefani! Where have you been?" The woman exclaimed. Stefani actually didn't know what color her hair was, since it was always fully covered by the coif and veil she wore on her head at all times, but her eyebrows were dark, looking stark on her soft round face, with blue eyes and thin lips that seemed to often be pressed together with aggravation, as they were now. Sister Bellus had always been kind to Stefani, quickly forgiving her most inconsequential transgressions (like tiptoeing inside the kitchen to eat a chocolate bun before dinner) and offering authentic affection sporadically, when it was needed or welcomed.

In that moment, however, the Sister didn't look inclined to overlook or forgive anything.

"I'm sorry, Sister Bellus." Stefani answered, trying not to look guilty. "I was bored, so I decided to walk around a bit. I didn't mean to linger or disappear."

The Sister frowned, doubtful of the girl's words. Stefani disappearing for a couple of hours was an almost common occurrence, but as she always came back in one piece and looking a bit happier than usual, the Sister had overlooked her unexplained absences a few times. This afternoon, however, the girl had been gone for over four hours, and the Sisters, novices and staff had been looking for her everywhere for the last one.

But there was no time to deal with that at the moment, as there was a strange visitor who had been waiting for her. She wouldn't forget Stefani's little stunt, but she filled it inside her head for later.

"Come on, little Miss. I have someone who would like to meet you." The older woman said. She turned and started towards her office. When she noticed Stefani wasn't following, she looked behind, softening her expression. "Come, you're not in trouble." _Yet_.

The girl seemed to start out of her stupor at that, quickly following the Headmistress. They went by a few corridors. Stefani saw a Sister berating a little boy who had been running inside, aside from that, there wasn't much to be seen: there were no decorations in the building aside from crosses, religious paintings, some artwork from the children, and a few scattered Bible stands. Mostly, only bland white doors and entrances to other corridors could be seen.

Sister Bellus' office was behind one of those bland white doors, and, as Stefani recalled from the few times she had been there – she was not a big trouble maker, even if she did have her moments – it was relatively spacious, had religious adornments only, a dark brown couch and armchair on one side, a darkwood desk with two chairs facing the entrance, and a small altar, with a Bible, rosaries, candles and other assortment of religious objects. It was a surprisingly cozy place, considering how colorless and dimly lit it was.

When the Sister opened the door and motioned for Stefani to pass, the little girl was surprised to see someone inside – despite the fact that the Sister told her she had a visitor – sitting on one of the chairs, facing the desk.

He was one of the weirdest people Stefani had ever seen. He wore something like a long sleeved cerulean blue dress with silver spots and a lot of buttons in the front, with a cape of the same color. His very long silver beard and hair feel over it, almost matching the exact color of the silver spots, which Stefani discovered after careful inspection were five-pointed stars. There was also a wide, fez-like silver tasseled hat sitting his hands. He looked too tall for the chair he was sitting on, and it was a perfectly normal sized chair in Stefani's opinion. His nose was long and curved, making the girl wonder what was responsible for its crookedness, and he wore half-moon spectacles perching on his atypical nose.

"It's a pleasure to _finally_ meet you, Miss Germanotta." Said the stranger, humorously referring to her unexplained absence, rising from his chair to give her a handshake. Stefani was almost inclined to feel offended, if not for the mischievous twinkle in the old man's eyes. His hands were large and wrinkled, his fingers long and thin, like the ones she imagined a great pianist should have, except his nails were also long, and that she knew was a big hindrance while playing.

Sister Bellus cleared her throat when Stefani simply stood there staring at the man after shaking his hand.

"You would be… Sir?" The girl asked, sitting on the other chair. Sister Bellus walked to the other side of the desk and perched on her own chair.

"Oh, how rude of me. My name is Albus Dumbledore, but I'm more known as Professor Dumbledore. I was just talking with the kind Sister Bellus about a fortunate occurrence. I'm the Headmaster of a boarding school called Hogwarts, and you have been granted a spot there, if you so wish." He smiled, unconcerned.

Stefani looked from him to the Sister, who watched their interaction with an expression of calm and mild interest. She encouraged the young girl to speak with a head nod.

"Well, it's nice to meet you, but as you probably have realized, there is no way for me to pay for it." Stefani's words could have been taken as insubordinate, but the tone in which she spoke was candid enough that it didn't come across that way. She was simply stating the truth. Her family had left a considerable amount of money for her, but it was frozen in a bank account that she would only have access to on her eighteenth birthday.

Dumbledore watched the young girl in front of him for a couple seconds. She was small and skinny for her age, but not in any way that indicated disease or abnormality. She looked clean and well-cared for, her slightly wavy brown hair reaching her shoulders, brushed and silky-looking, held out of her face by a simple black headband. Her face could be described as pleasant in a nontraditional way, she had almost too big green eyes, a long nose, thin lips, and a weak chin on a slightly long face, traits that would probably look unappealing on most people, but made for a harmonious combination on her.

She looked like a healthy, as happy as could be hoped for, intelligent child. Dumbledore could be honest enough with himself to admit that this was not what he had been expecting, given her history. The only sign that something might be wrong, if one could say that, was the fact that the girl still spoke with a perfect American accent after living on England for five years.

Stefani fidgeted on her chair, uncomfortable with the scrutiny she was under. The old man, or, Professor Dumbledore, didn't seem to be judging her or her appearance in any harsh way, but his eyes were particularly penetrating, and, therefore, unsettling.

"The tuition is not generally free, even though I can certainly think how that would be beneficial. However, you have been granted not only a spot, but a full scholarship as well. Would you like to hear more about it?" He asked, kindly. Stefani nodded.

"Could you please give us a moment, Sister Bellus?" The Sister seemed suspicious, but seemingly decided that the man wasn't a threat, since she graciously rose from her chair and excused herself.

Stefani patiently waited for the Sister to leave. Professor Dumbledore continued to watch her for a few moments, looking at the same time curious and unconcerned.

"Do you believe in magic, Miss Germanotta?" He finally spoke. Stefani frowned, wondering if it was a trick question. She knew her answer, but she also knew that adults didn't always want to hear the truth. She decided that professor Dumbledore might be just weird enough to be different.

"Yes, I do." Dumbledore nodded, as if her answer was exactly what he had expected.

"Have you ever seen it? Done it yourself?" He asked, looking politely interested, as if they were talking about the weather.

This time, it was Stefani who spent long moments scrutinizing the man in front of her. He waited patiently, unruffled.

"Yes." She answered, at last. Again, he nodded like he was expecting that answer and agreed with it.

"Could you tell me what happened?" He prompted.

Stefani thought for a few moments, wondering what she should or shouldn't say.

"My grandmother told me that I made my toys fly when I was a baby. I still do it, sometimes, with other things. I can also make things change colors, get bigger or smaller, appear or disappear, and move in all sorts of ways. Also, if I fall from somewhere, I can sometimes float down." She could do more than that, but she decided what she had told was enough.

Dumbledore smiled reassuringly.

"Very impressive indeed, my dear. I must say not everyone expresses magic as strongly as you have at your age." Stefani felt weirdly pleased by the compliment, even if she barely knew the man.

"But now, before I explain better my purpose here, would you like a drink?" Stefani shrugged, confused. The Headmistress didn't keep drinks in her office. Then, Dumbledore put his unoccupied hand inside his robes and pulled something out. A stick, long and light brown, with ridges on it. Stefani recoiled involuntarily, and heart stopped, then proceeded to do its best to jump out of her chest. It was suddenly hard to breathe, she felt weak.

Luckily or not, the Professor didn't seem to notice her reaction to his wand, and simply waved it, producing three glass bottles and two glasses. Then, he immediately stored it, and turned to look at her. He had, in fact, noticed her reaction, since he could see how pale and still she had suddenly become, her hands holding on the chair with a white-knuckled grip. He avoided expressing it on his face, though, but compassion and grief filled him nonetheless. She needed to learn to deal with her aversion to wands, if she were to become a witch, but it hurt to see a child so young with such a strong aversive response to a magical item.

He motioned towards the bottles, seemingly unaware of her plight, something for which Stefani was grateful. If his intention had been to impress her with the appearance of the bottles, it had been greatly overshadowed by her reaction to the stick he had used to do it. But, as she calmed down and became more centered, she was suddenly struck by the wonder of what he had done.

"Would you like pumpkin juice, butterbeer or bubble juice? I can assure you none of these contain alcohol." He said.

Stefani thought a bit, and decided that beer made of butter sounded revolting, and bubble juice seemed definitely more interesting that pumpkin juice, though she had never tasted either.

"Bubble juice, please." The older man nodded, vanished the other bottles without using his wand – something for which Stefani was grateful – and pored the atypical fizzy drink in two cups. It was pink and bubbled in a way that reminded her of soda, but with a lot more intensity. She took the cup nearest and drank after only a moment of hesitation. It was cold, and she could feel the bubbles exploding inside her mouth, filling it with a sugary taste of tutti-frutti. If not for the unrelenting bubbles full of taste, it would be a lot like a normal soda. She took another, bigger sip. It didn't go down her throat unpleasantly like soda did, though. She was surprised when a pink bubble floated out of her mouth as she opened it to speak. The Professor laughed at her surprised expression, in good spirit, letting a few bubbles escape from his mouth as well.

The Professor put his drink down, and looked at her seriously. "Very well. I have a letter for you." He said, pulling a piece of paper out of his robes.

Stefani took the offered letter, and studied the envelop. Its paper was rough and yellowish. There was a blazon on it, with animal figures. She could discern a lion, a snake, a badger and an eagle. It was sealed with red wax, and had no post office stamps. She opened it. Inside there were two pieces of paper, the first one read:

 _HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY_

 _Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore_

 _(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,_

 _Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)_

 _Dear Miss Germanotta,_

 _We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment._

 _Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July._

 _Yours sincerely,_

 _Minerva McGonagall_

 _Deputy Headmistress_

She turned it around, to see if there was more, but there wasn't. She then opened the second piece of paper. It had a list of the necessary material, and Stefani was amazed to see that it included a cauldron, a list of books about spells, magic potions and fungi, fantastical beasts, and so on.

She turned to look at Dumbledore, her face breaking into an excited smile.

"So, it's true! Am I really a witch?"

Dumbledore was surprised by her response.

"Yes, you are, but may I ask why you thought it was a possibility before?" He inquired.

Stefani looked down at the letter again, studying it closely, a soft smile still adorning her face.

"I have always done weird things. My grandmother told me when I was younger that it was because I was a witch, and had magic. She said that her mother had been a witch too, and maybe it had been passed down on to me." The girl looked wistfully at the list of materials, wondering how her grandmother Angelina would have reacted to the these recent developments if she were still here to see them. "Where will I buy all these things?" She asked, looking up at him. She had no idea where she could buy a pair of dragon gloves in London. _Dragons exist_ _?_

She thought it was sort of sad that, if they did, their leather was being used to make gloves, but she pushed the thought aside.

"If you accept the scholarship, I will return to help you buy the necessary items at the right place, before the school term starts." He took a sip of his bubble juice. "So, do you accept the offer?" He inquired softly, as if whatever response she gave would be adequate.

She looked at the papers on her hands and thought about her grandmother, her mother and her father. When she looked at Dumbledore, there was conviction in her eyes.

"Yes."


	3. Chapter 3

Later, when Stefani was lying down on her bed in the girls dormitory – after being berated by Sister Bellus for the vanishing act she had pulled earlier – she noticed the weird way the letter was addressed.

 _Miss S. Germanotta,_

 _Dormitory 2, the bed under the middle window,_

 _77, Patrick Street,_

 _London_

 _How do they know my bed is the one under the middle window?_ The girls' dormitory was surrounded on both sides by other rooms, so only one wall had windows. There were three big ones on it, but Stefani's bed was the only one directly under one, in the center.

Shrugging, Stefani read the letter again and again, until the paper was wrinkled and she had memorized all of its content. It helped her figure out that the stick she saw Dumbledore holding was probably the 'wand' in the materials list. It meant that she would need to have and use one herself, and she wasn't sure how she felt about it. Stefani knew that wands themselves weren't evil, what people did using them could be. However, her conditioned aversive response to the mere sight of one was hard to shake off. But she was confident that she would, in time.

The next few days went by tortuously slow, as Stefani got more and more anxious about the trip she would make with Professor Dumbledore to buy the materials she needed. She had no clue where they would get all that stuff, but was excited to find out. Luckily, she was in vacation, so no teachers had to berate her for her distraction and anxiety.

Finally, the day came, and Stefani was up and ready much earlier than Dumbledore had indicated. Luckily, he also arrived early, and they traveled together by subway. Today, he was wearing purple robes, and managed to call some attention even on a London subway, where everyone was very used to weird things.

Stefani thought it felt like forever for them to finally reach somewhere, a small, dingy pub called "The Leaky Cauldron". It seemed familiar to her, but as she knew London reasonably well, she didn't think too much about it. The owner, Tom, as well as a variety of men and women dressed in a fashion similar to Dumbledore, greeted the Headmaster, a few striking brief conversations with him. Normally, Stefani wouldn't have minded, but she figured out that the pub wasn't their final destination, and the anxiety made her restless.

Finally, Dumbledore led her to the back of the pub, to a common brick wall. Stefani was dumbstruck when Dumbledore, using his wand – which made her shiver uncomfortably – made the bricks move and revel what seemed to be a market, full of people dressed in magical fashion and stores selling items like toad's legs and eel's eyes. It seemed like Stefani had neither enough eyes or time to take it all in.

As people dressed in flowing, colorful robes and pointy hats passed her by, and she gaped at the windows of the shops, Dumbledore led her towards possibly the most unremarkable little store of them all. However, when she saw a lone, dusty wand sitting in the showcase, Stefani swallowed dry. She thought she had been prepared for this moment, but her heart still beat quickly.

The shop had a simple sign in gold letters over it that said _Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C._. Inside, there was a lone, old chair and a multitude of small boxes piled from the floor to the ceiling of the back wall. Everything in it was dusty.

Stefani was just wondering if she would have to call out for someone when an old man suddenly appeared thorough a door she hadn't noticed before. He had an eccentric look, with his white hair sticking out of his head untamed, and striking, penetrating silver-blue eyes. He made polite conversation with Dumbledore, and introduced himself as Mr. Ollivander. Stefani shook his hand and told him that she was looking to acquire a wand. At this, Dumbledore excused himself informing her that he had a few errands to run, and that she should go to Flourish and Blotts next in order to find the necessary books. He gave her ten gold coins, saying that her wand would probably not be more expensive than that, but if it were, he would come by to make up for the difference later. Then, saying he would meet her in the book store, he left.

Ollivander scrutinized Stefani for a few moments with his penetrating silvery eyes, before asking which hand was her dominant one. She indicated the left. He then proceeded to take a lot of weird measurements of her, like the ratio of her head, the distance between her wrist and her shoulder, etc. He used a magical measurer to do it, mumbling to himself the whole time. At last, he chose a box, seemingly at random, out of the thousand boxes in the shop, and handed it to her with a lot of care. Then, took it away before she could even open it. When she asked why he did that, he mysteriously answered that the wand chooses its bearer, not the other way around.

He did something alike a few more times, before finally allowing her to take a wand in her hand. "Alder, unicorn hair, 10 inches, pleasantly springy." He said. She held the wand for about two seconds before he plucked it from her. He continued doing that, informing her of the core, wood and size of the wands. However, when nothing happened, Stefani became more and more frustrated.

Then, he took a purple box from the very apex of the pile of boxes. The wand inside it was of a very light color, a soft golden hue to it. Ridges like vines composed the handle and then curved towards the tip, having black contours that gave it the impression of dept. It was a beautiful looking wand, but that was not what made Stefani's heart beat quicker when she took it in her left hand. A soft mist, silver and gold, swayed in the air hypnotically as it came out of the tip of the wand. Stefani almost felt it vibrate on her hand, making shivers travel down her body.

"Oh, yes" Said Ollivander, looking satisfied. "This is a very special wand you have there, little Miss. Temperamental, too. It has been here for a long time, and never matched anyone. It's made of Yew, a rare kind of wood, great for dueling and curses, reasonably flexible. The core was imported from the United States a long time ago, as a trade for Phoenix feathers due to special circumstances." Stefani understood he wouldn't elaborate on what exact circumstances he was referring to. "It's made with a shard of the horn of a Horned Serpent, and it's particularly powerful. Twelve inches. That will be no less than eight galleons, I'm afraid."

After, Stefani found herself incapable of letting go of the wand, going to buy her books with it firmly held on her hand. The rest of the day went by as uneventfully as could be expected due the circumstances. She managed to buy two sets of simple black robes in Madam Malkin's, but the third had to be a used one, even if in good condition. All her books were also used, and, as much as she wanted to, she was unable to buy anything that wasn't on her materials list, since her scholarship wouldn't cover it. However, Dumbledore surprised Stefani by gifting her an old copy of his of _Hogwars, a History_ , which he discretely summoned just as he was about to leave her on the subway station.

With a mischievous twinkle on his eyes, the Headmaster told her to enjoy the remnants of her vacation, and gave her a ticket to catch the train that would take her to Hogwarts. He inquired if she would need assistance finding it, but after she assured him she knew where the station was and would be fine, he gave her farewell.

She wondered, when she examined the ticket later, if she should have accepted help. Stefani had no idea there was a 9 ¾ Platform on King's Cross Station.

The morning of the 1st of September, in truly London fashion, rose dark and gloomy, a permanent drizzle making everything exposed inevitably humid, including the clothes of the small girl who shivered as she struggled to drag a trunk that looked bigger than her towards the 9th Platform of King's Cross Station.

When she got there, Stefani was faced with the challenge of finding the entrance for the actual 9 ¾ Platform, which seemed to be nowhere in sight. She dragged her things around and around – she couldn't find a trolley in the rush hour – to no luck, and as the clock on one of the walls crept closer and closer to 11am, the time Dumbledore told her the train would leave, the girl started to fidget. That is, until she saw a big family hurriedly walking towards one of the columns, all talking to and over each other animatedly in a well-worn cacophony. They all had the brightest, reddest hair Stefani had ever seen before, and were wearing the strange garbs she had already come to associate with wizards.

She crept closer to them, remaining unnoticed. She couldn't hold in a gasp, however, when one of the oldest boys went right through the wall of the column, disappearing behind it. The mother went right after him, and the father started to guide the children through as well. Stefani watched up until it was only him and the youngest, a little girl, left.

"Excuse me, sir. How did you manage to do that? Does that lead to the 9 ¾ Platform?" She inquired the man, politely. He turned a fatherly, sincere smile towards her.

"A first year, eh? American as well! It's really simple, you just walk right through!" He motioned for her to go ahead, so Stefani pulled her trunk behind her, one hand forward. As he said, she went right through.

"Oh." She exclaimed as she saw the old-fashioned steam train. A line of white smoke rose from the front, it was red and black and positively polished. Stefani marveled at it so much she barely noticed as the older man came through the barrier as well.

"If you are this amazed at the train, dear, I wish I could see your face when you get a glimpse of Hogwarts." The father commented, a kind smile on his face. Stefani smiled back. "What would be your name, little Miss?"

"I'm Stefani. What is yours?"

"I'm Arthur Weasley. That" he pointed towards the chubby woman who was talking to the older boys. "is my wife, Molly. Those are Billy and Charlie, they are going to Hogwarts too. The one on the right of Billy is Percy, the boy on the left in Ron. The twins are Fred and George, I think the one on the right is Fred… uh, not even I can tell the difference sometimes." He laughed. "And this little one is Ginny."

"Hello." Ginny spoke, shyly.

"Hi." Stefani answered. "It's nice meeting you, sir, thank you for your help.".

"No problem. But you should go find a seat now, the train is just about to leave."

With that, Mister Weasley helped Stefani get her trunk into the train by using his wand to float it. Stefani watched, fascinated, no longer afraid of the object. Her own was kept on her waist, held in place by the elastic band of her pants. Stefani had not let it out of her sight since she got it. It didn't give out the same glow it did the first time she held it, but there was a feeling of safety and something she couldn't name, but felt good in her tummy, when she had it close or held it.

And thus, the little girl dragged her trunk down the corridor, looking for a place to sit. All of the booths were full, and she was starting to get frustrated, when a very red head of hair popped out of one of the compartments.

"Hellu, I'm Charlie Weasley. I saw you speaking with Da, you can sit here if you want."

"Oh, thanks!" Stefani exclaimed, grateful.

The boy helped her drag the heavy trunk the rest of the way. The thing wasn't actually full (Stefani didn't have that much stuff), but a lot of it was books, and the trunk itself was made of wood. They pushed it aside with the other luggage, before sitting down with a huff. Stefani ended up sitting near the door, as there were other two kids occupying the window seats.

"I'm Stefani Germanotta. Thank you for your help, that was heavy!" She shook hands with the boy. He smiled at her, good-naturally.

"These are Zoe Willerby," He introduced a chubby girl with light brown, curly hair. "and Roy Moore. They are my years' mates." and a good looking boy with very dark skin.

"How do you do?" The girl spoke, with a heavy accent Stefani couldn't identify.

"Pleasure to meet you." Said the boy, smiling politely.

"It's really nice meeting you too."

"Uh, are you American? How did you end up at Hogwarts?" Roy asked, eyebrows raised.

"When my parents died I had to live here with my grandmother." Stefani answered, unconcerned. Suddenly, the children looked around, uncomfortable.

"I'm sorry for your loss, I didn't mean to bring it up." Roy apologized.

"It's okay, it has been a while." She said, voice soft. "So, you are all Gryffindors?"

At that, they launched into a discussion of the houses of Hogwarts, which Stefani knew a fair bit about, due to Dumbledore's gift. The afternoon went by in amiable conversation and, occasionally, silence. When the food trolley came by, both Charlie and Stefani watched their friends buy sweets and candy. Charlie shared his home-made jerky sandwich with her, which she accepted more for the sentiment – it looked hard and bland, but actually tasted pretty good. The nuns gave her a cinnamon bun to eat on the trip, and she split that with Charlie in turn. They shared a strange kinship over their lives of few means. It was good that she felt she already had, if not friends, allies in Hogwarts. In the orphanage Stefani was quite the loner.

They all spent almost an hour after playing with the Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans that Roy had bought. It was so much fun Stefani didn't get too mad at the fact she got one that tasted Blue, and her face acquired a cerulean shade for the next hour and a half. It was too bad they were all third years and she wouldn't have any classes with them. But she was happy and grateful nonetheless. She just hoped she ended up in Gryffindor, even if she deep down thought she was well suited for Ravenclaw.

The night fell, they changed into their robes and the train wailed at the finish line. Stefani said goodbye to her new friends and followed the bellow of "Firs' years! Over here, firs' years!" with the other young children.

Her first thought when she got a look at the huge man beckoning the children was that no one, in their right mind, would get into a fight with him. He was the tallest, largest person she had ever seen, with voluminous beard and hair covering half his face. But he wasn't scary, he was beaming down at them and his eyes held a glittering softness. Her second thought was that the children staring and whispering about him were quite rude, and Stefani refused to do the same even when a boy right beside her elbowed her in the ribs like an old friend and tried to start a conversation about it. He had dark brown hair and a cheeky smile. Stefani turned her nose up at him and stepped away.

The giant led them towards the shimmering lake, and instructed them to carefully climb in them, three each. Stefani ended up with a shivery blond boy called Ben and a haughty girl named Melinda. They didn't talk much, however, as after a few minutes of gliding over the impenetrable, glass surface of the lake, the fog on the sky finally gave way to the dark but sparkling sight of the castle, perched on a mountain with dozens of bigger and smaller towers.

"Wow." Stefani mumbled to herself, heart beating fast. She felt her throat tight, thinking she would get to go to that place, study there, live there. It felt like a dream. The orphanage was okay, the nuns were always nice to her. But Stefani hadn't had a home since her grandmother died, a couple of years after her parents. This, even though she hadn't even stepped on it yet, felt like it could be it.

When they neared the cliff, Stefani obediently lowered her head as older man instructed. They were carried along a dark tunnel, which seemed to be taking them right underneath the castle, until they reached a kind of underground harbor, where they clambered out onto rocks and pebbles.

"Everyone here? Good, good." He yelled as the children shakily left the boats and huddled on the shore. He turned around and knocked on a huge wood door three times. The door swung open at once. A tall, black-haired witch in midnight-blue robes stood there. She had a very stern, serious face and Stefani's first thought was that this was not someone she wanted to disappoint.

"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," said Hagrid.

"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here." And with that, Stefani finally knew the huge man's name.

She pulled the door wide. The entrance hall was larger than the Chapel at the orphanage, with stone floors and walls that were lit with flaming torches like the ones in medieval books. The ceiling was so high it made Stefani dizzy trying to look up at it, and a magnificent marble staircase facing them led to the upper floors. They followed Professor McGonagall across the flagged stone floor. Stefani could hear the drone of hundreds of voices from a doorway to the right – the rest of the school must already be here – but Professor McGonagall stilled the first years outside of it, were they all stood still and silent, looking at her.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor McGonagall. "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, for your remainder here, your house will be your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room."

"The four houses are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rulebreaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points will be awarded the house cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours."

"The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting." She finished, with a pointed look towards the cheeky boy from earlier, whose tie was crooked, and a little girl with a smudge of chocolate on her chin.

Stefani fidgeted nervously, slicking her hair down and checking that her clothes were tidy.

"I shall return when we are ready for you," said Professor McGonagall. "Please wait quietly." With that, she left.

"How do you think we are sorted?" Stefani heard someone asking worriedly behind her. "Is it a test, you think?" The boy sounded positively horrified.

Stefani turned around.

"Don't worry, it's not a test. At least it shouldn't be, since it would neither be fair nor an accurate assessment of our abilities. None of us has learned magic yet." She said kindly to the short boy who had been whispering. He smiled softly at her, still looking terrified, before straightening his back and nodding.

"Okay, I can do this."

"You can. What is your name?"

"Nicholas Clearwater, but only my mum calls me Nicholas, so, just Nick. What's yours?"

"I'm Stefani Germanotta, it's nice to meet you."

"Nice meeting you too. I hope we end up in the same house." He said tentatively. Stefani awarded him with a brilliant smile.

"Sure."

"Just because you Muggle-borns haven't learned magic yet, doesn't mean none of us have." Said an arrogant, high voice, and Stefani turned to look at the girl that had rode the boat with her. Melinda, was her name. "Nonetheless, the sorting is not a test."

"What is it, then?" Nick asked, ignoring her casual insult in favor of assuaging his trepidation.

"You will see." She said with an air of superiority. Stefani suppressed the urge to roll her eyes.

"Silence. The Sorting Ceremony's about to start." said a sharp voice. Professor McGonagall had returned. "Now, form a line, and follow me." She instructed.

Stefani ended up sandwiched between Melinda and Nick as they trudged after the Professor. Suddenly, despite her words to the boy, her heart was doing somersaults in her chest. She clutched the handle of her wand under the robes and was grateful for the instant feeling of assuredness that came over her.

Professor McGonagall lead them across the hall and through a pair of double doors into the Great Hall. Stefani had never imagined such a strange and splendid place, not even while reading about it on _Hogwarts, a History_. It was lit by thousands and thousands of candles floating midair over four long tables, where the rest of the students were sitting. These tables were laid with glittering golden plates and goblets. At the top of the hall was another long table where the teachers were sitting. Stefani quickly picked out of the crowd Charlie's flaming head and gave him a quick wave, which was promptly returned.

Professor McGonagall led the first years up towards the professor's table, so that they came to a halt in a line facing the other students, with the teachers behind them. The hundreds of faces staring at them looked ghostly in the flickering candlelight. Dotted here and there among the students, real ghosts shone misty silver. Remembering something she had read, she looked up and saw the magical, night-sky ceiling, obscured by clouds like the one outside. It was still amazing.

Stefani quickly looked down again as Professor McGonagall silently placed a four-legged stool in front of the first years. On top of the stool she put a pointed wizard's hat. This hat was patched and frayed and extremely dirty. The nuns wouldn't have let it in the orphanage. Noticing that everyone in the hall was now staring at the hat, Stefani stared at it, too. For a few seconds, there was complete silence. Then the hat twitched. A rip near the brim opened wide like a mouth; and the hat began to sing.

Looking over the faces stating at her, Stefani couldn't for the life of her pay too much attention to the hat over the drumming of her heart on her ears. Something, something she always avoided thinking about slithered its way to the back of her mind. Most of the time, she pretended she didn't remember what happened, how she came to be alone in the world. But she did, and as the thought sometimes escaped from the trap she kept it in, it did now. _Here, I will find the tolls to discover why_. And as quickly as it was loose, she pushed it away, the thought. She had known, consciously even, since the event itself, that wizards killed her parents. But now she was in their world, her world, and maybe she could get the answers she secretly craved.

The whole hall bursting into applause as the hat finished its song startled Stefani out of her reverie. It bowed to each of the four tables and then became still again. Professor McGonagall now stepped forward holding a long roll of parchment.

"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," she said. "Akagi, Sakura!"

A pale Asian girl stepped forward, sitting on the bench and quickly putting the hat on her head. It promptly covered her eyes. She sat there, stock still, for what felt to Stefani like whole minutes, but were probably only a few seconds. Finally, the hat bellowed:

"HUFFLEPUFF!" The table full of students wearing yellow roared and received the now smiling girl with open welcome.

As the children were called forward, Stefani noticed some took a long time to be sorted and others, as the hat barely touched their heads, were already chosen. The cheeky boy from earlier, Justin Davis, went to Gryffindor so fast he himself looked a bit blindsided, before jumping down happily towards his table. Melinda Gamp went straight to Slytherin, almost as quickly as Davis. Nick had gone to Ravenclaw, and Stefani felt torn between that one and Gryffindor.

Finally, Professor McGonagall called "Germanotta, Stefani."

She walked, as calmly and dignified as she could muster while her stomach seemed to be dropping to her toes, towards the bench. She sat, put on the hat and waited, looking at the darkness inside.

 _Well, well, well. Haven't seen one of you in a long time_. The voice startled her, and she turned her head, but it seemed almost as if it was her own brain talking. _What shall I do with you?_ For some reason, the words made shivers run down her back. _Strikingly talented, I see. Intelligent, older than your years. Creativity that could turn into the sharpest cunning with ease. An overpowering thirst to prove yourself, but still a kind, loyal heart. So much courage hidden inside. Difficult, difficult._ The hat was silent for a few moments. _So much pain in such a young soul. And yet, you have not let it consume you. But there are answers you seek, aren't there?_

Stefani couldn't control what she thought. The ' _yes_ ' was immediate and undeniable.

 _You would serve well any of the Houses, and all but one would welcome you in kind. The path to the answers you seek is a difficult and treacherous one, my child. Are you sure that's your heart's biggest desire?_ Again, the ' _yes_ ' was instantaneous _. Very well. I wish you all the luck in your journey. It must be –_ SLYTHERIN!

There was a strange sort of stunned silence, before the table on the far right corner, lined by green, started to clap politely. Face burning for a strange reason, Stefani walked towards it, making sure to keep her head high and her chin from wobbling. She glanced at Charlie, but he looked away from her as soon as their eyes crossed. Nick looked deflated sitting at the Ravenclaw table. Melinda's face, however, as Stefani squeezed beside her on the Slytherin table, was priceless.

* * *

 **Any feedback is very appreciated! ;)**


End file.
